Anime and Manga art. A totally different animation that isn’t afraid of dipping into the different genres like most animations, but takes it to a new dimension and Goblin Slayer is just one of them, taking action to new heights. Here are 20 Things You Didn’t Know about Goblin Slayer:
20. The Influence of Tolkien
J.R.R Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been an influence of Goblin Slayer, according to the Fandom wiki, one of the chapters of Goblin Slayer echoes Tolkien’s work by saying the dwarves of the story have dug too deep and awakened a demon, which is harking back to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Other examples on this page where more of Tolkien’s influences in the story are listed (https://goblin-slayer.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Dream_Focus/Tolkien_influences) include Bilbo Baggin’s novel title – There and Back Again, and the Goblin Slayer is named “Orcbolg.” According to this Youtube video, the author of Goblin Slayer preferred older fantasy works in order to come up with the ideas behind the story he worked on.
19. Cold
According to this Youtube video, the Goblin Slayer character received a lot of his training out in the cold mountains, making him extremely resilient to cool temperatures, though the armour which he wears protects him from the worst of it.
18. The Dwarf Shaman’s Achilles heel
The reason why the Dwarf Shaman became an adventurer was so then he could sample as many exotic and interesting beverages as he could to go with the fire wine that he drinks. But don’t be fooled…According to his profile on the Goblin Slayer wiki, the Dwarf Shaman in the second book of Goblin Slayer took a quest to wipe out the goblins underneath Water Town, and while the goblins nearly overwhelmed them all, they managed to fight. The Dwarf Shaman used Stupor to distract a large monster so Goblin Slayer could kill it. Stupor is fire wine sprayed into the air in a mist while the Shaman chants a spell which causes anyone who breathes in the mist to become so drunk they come close to passing out.
17. Batman origin
Like Batman’s character Bruce Wayne, Goblin Slayer lost everyone whom he knew and loved, though, in this character’s case, it was goblins and not some criminal waving a gun who cost him the lives of everyone around him. According to his background profile on the franchise’s fandom wiki page, the Goblin Slayer started out as a simple kid who wanted to become an adventurer and had an argument with his best friend Cow-Girl because he couldn’t go with her when she left for work on a farm. Goblin Slayer only just managed to survive because he hid away in the basement of his home while watching everything happening around him through a floorboard crack. He sneaked out when night had fallen – only to be attacked by some goblins who had stayed behind before he was saved by Burglar, who became his mentor and teacher for the next five years, though it wasn’t a very happy experience. Burglar was a sadist whose training was reminiscent of torture for the young boy, but there is no doubt the harshness of the training he inflicted shaped Goblin Slayer – mind, body and soul, but he did offer a sympathetic and compassionate streak when needed.
16. Adventurer’s Guild and Adventurers
According to the Fandom wiki’s article is an organisation which organizes quests, such as goblin slaying, to Adventurers. When and if the adventurer has completed their tasks, the Guild will offer them their money. The guild also has the authority to deny adventurers a quest if they are mentally unwell. Adventurers are a diverse group, according to the separate wiki article (https://goblin-slayer.fandom.com/wiki/Adventurer), and they can apply regardless of race or gender while they work for the guild for money. Every newly registered adventurer is given a tag, not unlike a real-life dog tag issued to soldiers to identify them, while this tag is stamped with the logo of the guild. The tag in Goblin Slayer is supposed to identify the personal details of the Adventurer and their ranking in the organisation. Rank 10 is the lowest rank an adventurer receives, but as they succeed at their quests they move through the ranks, and the material of the tag they wear changes.
15. Spearman or Lancer?
Spearman seems to have the same appearance and personality of Lancer, from the Anime Fate/Stay Night, in that they look virtually alike, and they share a flirtatious attitude. On his profile on the Fandom wiki, Spearman is a highly experienced silver-ranked adventurer who is an experienced monster hunter/killer, and explorer. He knows some magic, but it really isn’t his main forte. His specialty is with spears, clearly. He doesn’t seem to get along with Goblin Slayer, according to this wiki article concerning Spearman’s relationships, grumbling about Guild-Girl’s relationship with Goblin Slayer, though he is willing to work with Goblin Slayer when needed, recognizing clearly when he grumbles and when to partner up. However, he is still clearly frustrated with Goblin Slayer’s effortless ability to catch Guild-Girl’s attention, albeit unintentionally, annoying Spearman.
14. Character infatuation
Spearman has a thing for Guild Girl according to this Fandom wiki article, but she has a strong respect for Goblin Slayer causing friction between Spearman and Goblin Slayer according to this article on Fandom which details Guild Girl’s relationships, which states all of Spearman’s romantic advances do nothing more than frustrates Guild Girl. At the same time, Witch whom works with Spearman frequently as partners, and according to her relationship page on Goblin Slayer Fandom, she is constantly frustrated by Spearman’s infatuation with Guild-Girl, having to mask her irritation whenever Spearman flirts with the other woman. However they both bond over the fact they want the attention of a man who shows no romantic interest in them. It does not help that because of his mental issues, unkempt appearance and his desire to wipe out as many goblins as he can, Goblin Slayer has a habit of putting people off. Sword Maiden is the only woman to confess her feelings, however, Goblin Slayer did not understand her infatuation. She has quite…. exotic dreams about Goblin Slayer swooping in to save her life from goblin attacks
13. The Goblin Slayer wore a horned helmet like a Viking
In his first ever mission, Goblin Slayer’s helmet was horned. However he had to remove them during his first ever mission as a way to kill goblins – they became broken during the mission.
12. The Author
The author of Goblin Slayer Kumo Kagyu wrote online, much like the author of Overlord, and according to the Goblin Slayer article on Wikipedia, posting the story on online text board from October in 2012. The story used the Yaruo thread format which is what it is called on the Japanese internet, combining the graphics computer art dubbed ASCII art with the dialogue. The series became like a novel, and Kumo Kagyu posted smaller parts of the story at a time, like the chapters of a book, getting instant feedback from fans along the way. The story didn’t win the Fujima Fantasia Contest, but it was picked up by the editors of GA Bunko before commercial publishing took place. In 2016, the first volume was printed as a light novel. Apparently, the author was so unaccustomed to this type of publishing because he had grown used to the feedback from his fanbase he turned to online work during the time it took to complete the first volume. His advice to other aspiring writers is to keep going and to finish what they started.
11. White fox
White Fox Studios adapted the story to anime. That makes sense because the studio has made a reputation for adapting dark stories for anime which are highly successful.
10. Dungeons and Dragons
Kumo, according to this Youtube Video, is a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, and like with Tolkien’s work he was influenced quite heavily by the RPGs. He even tells fans of the games to check out his work, and the part where the Gods in the Goblin Slayer story roll dice echoes of the influence of Dungeons and Dragons. Another reference to Dungeons and Dragons that has been pointed out is the sheet the Adventurers Guild hands over to adventurers to fill out, the sheet is virtually identical to a Dungeons and Dragons sheet, as was stated by a fan of Goblin Slayer.
9. No names
Further evidence of RPG influence shows NONE of the characters have names. Not real ones. They are identified by what they do; for instance, Goblin Slayer is known as… well, Goblin Slayer, and Cow Girl, Goblin Slayer’s childhood friend, is known as Cow Girl because of her work on a farm. At some point, the author had thought about giving his characters actual names. In the end, he didn’t do it – he believed the characters would be played as part of an RPG, so he came up with the novel approach of simply giving the readers the opportunity to come up with their own names for the characters.
8. The Comic Connection
Kumo Kagyu enjoyed American comic books, and movies like Kick-Ass. Goblin Slayer is not like superheroes like Superman whose heroics have a worldwide effect, but more of a hero who focuses on a small area, writing the story much like DC comics has – there is a Superman in both (its hinted there is someone, some being like Superman in the Goblin Slayer story), but Goblin Slayer is the Batman of the story. All the comparisons are there – he cares only for the mission, he doesn’t care about what people think about him or his work, he has received hard training after suffering tragedy in his life. He is also like the Punisher from Marvel comics, in that he uses violent means to complete his work.
7. Only Goblins
As his name suggests, Goblin Slayer only goes after goblins. His armor is sometimes mocked by other adventurers, though it is highly effective. He wields a short sword against his goblin enemies, though it’s perfect for tight combat conditions, such as in caves.
6. He is human
Goblin Slayer is a human male, and he is right-handed. His true appearance is a mystery to some. It’s even reached the point where several people at the guild have actually taken bets speculating about his actual appearance though Cow Girl knows him without his armor to the point where no-one was really sure about his gender, his age, or even his species! However, he is human – with pale skin, he is strong and athletic, and his skin is covered in scars from numerous battles, with short grey hair and crimson colored eyes. He is admired by many females due to his appearance.
5. Goblin Slayer’s tools
Goblin Slayer is not like Batman in that he uses a utility belt, but he does have impressive tools like the Dark Knight. As stated above, Goblin Slayer relies on a short sword in close combat, but he has other weapons in his arsenal. One of them is a longbow which he uses to kill goblins from a long way off. For defending himself he carries a small shield which is great for protecting himself, but it is also great for smashing goblins faces in. His armor is lightweight, made from leather and from light but strong metal plates He wears a helmet in some ways similar to a medieval knight of legend, and like a knight, or a diver protecting himself from a shark bite, he wears chainmail underneath his main armor for extra protection. His armor is lightweight, which allows him to move fast and with great agility, but also protects him. He carries potions on his person, which he uses to heal injuries or to increase his strength, and torches to help him see his way through the caves. He also carries a rare magical scroll, which he uses during times at desperate need.
4. He is after Revenge
Goblin Slayer’s motives for killing goblins are simple; he saw his entire village be destroyed by the goblins, and only himself and Cow-Girl managed to survive. He wants to kill goblins so then no-one goes through the same trauma he went through as a child. In that regard the Batman and Punisher influence is clear, but Goblin Slayer witnessed his own sister being raped by the goblin attackers and then brutally killed. He doesn’t want it to happen again. He watched it happen while hidden. Like the Punisher, the Goblin Slayer believes in killing his enemies as opposed to Bruce Wayne’s ideals.
3. A Man of Few Words
Goblin Slayer’s traumatic past has hardened him and made him socially rather withdrawn, and he doesn’t speak much, but when he does speak it’s usually great knowledge or curses aimed towards the goblins or a plan of attack. The people who have voiced the character have been Ichiro Umehara, a Japanese voice actor who has voiced other characters over the years, while his English voice actor is Brad Hawkins, and like his Japanese counterpart he is a veteran voice actor, though only minor roles.
2. The Hunter
While the comic book influences are clear, Goblin Slayer is more of a hunter who sets traps for his enemies, using anything he could in order to win. But he is still a highly trained swordsman and fighter, and he is so strong he can fight more powerful goblins and he is fast and agile enough to take on a dozen goblins at a time. He is also aware of his surroundings, so much so that he can find and track down a goblin hiding in pitch blackness. He knows a great deal about goblins since he has devoted his life to killing them – he knows how they think, how they act, and what they do, and he uses that knowledge as a base for his plans.
1. His Name
The Goblin Slayer began by signing out his details at the Adventurer’s guild, just like everyone else. During that time, he came across a quest for killing goblins and took it without any hesitation. He prepared himself by ordering his lightweight armor from the blacksmiths before he went out, killing many goblins though he was poisoned. The bottle was smashed, so he improvised by squeezing the bag and sucking what was left, and he was cured. He barely managed to get out but he killed two powerful goblins before rescuing a woman held captive. He later joined a group and killed three goblins, which impressed the others – he refused because they wanted other quests. During this time a goblin attacked, which the slayer killed, and then dissected to increase his knowledge of goblins. The other members of the party were, understandably, disgusted by what he’d done. Word spread throughout the guild, and Guild-Girl told him not to do it as it would make others uncomfortable. After recovering from terrible injuries, he found that he had become famous, and known as ‘Goblin Slayer.’
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